The sound of screaming bounced off the sullen cave walls.

What was happening, I couldn’t stop thinking, or running. My head almost hurt with the rushing thoughts that filled it.

Suddenly, I was falling downwards, headfirst into the darkness. I was falling and I didn’t even realise. As I plummeted down, everything was silent. I had left the whole world behind me. I wasn’t scared. I was relieved.

I thought back to the start, to why I was now about to subside to the rocks. To why I was here in the first place.

“Did anyone hear that?”

Stephen was as nervy as ever. Although he was a fanatic about anything that dwelled below the surface, he had the same amount of guts as a mouse, and as timid as one too. Finally at her wits end, Clara snapped back.

“Maybe if you shut up for about two minutes we could hear it”

Stephen went quiet after that. The three of us trudged downwards, well over 2 miles beneath the surface.

Under payed and over worked, Clara was not exactly in the right mindset to be going on an expedition like this one. To be honest, she was only in this business for the money, but I think it was just me who thought that.

Our radios buzzed on every couple minutes to assure we were still alive and kicking, and after the 3rd hour of our downward climb the check-ins had gotten less and less frequent. I wasn’t complaining.

I surveyed my surroundings. It was all rather boring past the one mile mark. All signs of life became rare, plants included.

There was enough space for me to reach up and touch the cap of the cave, but it was only wide enough to fit around 5 people. Our large haversacks didn’t help. The greyish colour of stone was doing my head in.

Unlike Stephen, I think cave exploration is fairly dull, especially such lonesome work like this. I prayed for a change of surroundings. We had been wondering down this vacant corridor for well over an hour and I couldn’t take anymore of Clara’s persistent huffing.

It was just about then that the passageway opened up into a large cavern, ceiling now a good 30 metres up. Vines curled up the rugged walls and water was dripping from a gap in the roof.

Stephen instantly got to work photographing the vicinity, while me and Clara made our way to the middle.

She took a massive breath inwards, before blasting it out into a large yell. It echoed and ricocheted off the walls, ringing in my ears. She smiled proudly to herself.

“Was that really necessary?”

Stephen looked as pale as a ghost when I spoke those words. I made eye contact with him and I simply rolled my eyes.

Clara was the most irrational and irresponsible person I’ve ever met, and somehow wounded up here, in a team of high class researchers. I still don’t know how she did it. I wish I did but she never really talked about herself surprisingly.

This time, I heard something. It was a like a scraping talon or nail, running across a stone wall. It wasn’t just me who heard it. Clara’s smirk was suddenly wiped away and Stephen let out a little squeak in fear.

We all made joined eye contact and un hooked our guns from each of our tool belts.

I really wasn’t wearing the right clothes for a fight. The guys up at base made us wear so many layers we all looked like marshmallows. My redish hair had gotten pretty long, hanging low in front of my now pale face.

We all leaned backs against each other, guns at the ready. All of a sudden this cave felt very dark and ghastly.

Why are we so scared? The three of us have been on millions of trips like this for information and have never been so fearful.

So why now?

My gut sank as the scraping came closer this time. I gulped and sweat began to run down the back of my neck. I nervously pushed my hair from my eyes and began in a hushed whisper ,

“Look, if anything comes, shoot a couple times and run. Stuff this deep can kill in seconds, and it’ll never fit through that little aisle we came in. Legging it out of here is our best option.”

Clara went next,

“I agree, I’m not loosing my life over some rock scouting field trip, that’s embarrassing.”

Of course with the flames of danger nipping at our feet, Clara only cares about her image. Stephen stayed silent, shaking, his face hanging tense. I pressed the emergency button on our radios and the others followed suit. It was pointless, really. Nothing could save us now.

It came so quickly when it did come. The monster jumped out from the darkness so fast, we didn’t even have a chance to react.

It was utter chaos. The plan instantly fell to ruin when it splatted Stephen against the wall within the first couple seconds of its appearance. Clara was screaming like a lunatic. It was huge, so huge. Its claws had Stephen in its grasp. He never stood a chance.

Looking at his body, his camera shattered on the floor, I just started running. I don’t know what direction.

Clara’s roaring was behind me.

Little, bright Stephens remnants were a lifetime ago.

I sprinted like I had never sprinted before. I couldn’t stop the thoughts of Stephen’s parents last expedition hugging him when he was pulled out.

That last trip didn’t go great. He had tripped and broke his leg. It took us 3 hours to get him out.

They wouldn’t be hugging anyone this time.

My heart hurt with the thoughts that filled it.

Before I knew it, I was running straight over a cliff edge, tumbling into the night.